Outback Australia … Bush Mechanic Tips!
at 5:11 am on Tuesday, 6 January 2009
For many travellers, the preferred mode of transport is courtesy of that modern beast of burden — the car. And for the majority of us, keeping our cars purring along is simply a matter of dropping the vehicle off at the local garage while we grab a coffee. But what happens if you’re in the Outback of Australia? Miles from the nearest garage?
Well, if you’re a Bush Mechanic, you simply take a look around you.
A Bush Mechanic, according to the official website, “is a person who fixes his own car by using wood and anything that he can find to replace the certain part that is broken. He can get himself out of trouble and drive to the nearest place to find the right parts for his car.”
The Bush Mechanics are members of the Jupururrla skin group and they call themselves the Jupururrla Gang. Let Kumanjayi (Tom) Kantor and Francis Jupurulla Kelly illustrate how they fix their cars in the Outback…
Desert people have utilised many fascinating adaptions over the last seventy years to keep their cars (vital for survival in the harsh conditions) in some sort of working order. With minimum distances of over 100 kms to be travelled between different communities, cars are a necessity, not a luxury.
As an example of the ingenuity shown by the bush mechanics, the Boys were on a trip to Broome (on the north-west coast of Western Australia, when their radiator developed a leak …
Undaunted, they scoured the surrounding countryside for an abandoned car (there always seem to be plenty of these around … and you’ll understand why when you see how cars are driven here).
Removing the battery from the aforementioned wreck, they pulled it apart and removed the lead. It didn’t take long to gather some wood, light a fire, locate a spare hubcap, add the lead and melt it over the fire. This was then poured into the radiator, allowed to harden and Hey Presto! No more leaky radiator!
Got a station wagon but need a convertible?
No problem … all you need is an axe and determination! Want a trailer to tow your extra gear? Just attach the decapitated roof to the back of the new convertible and you have a great sled, ideal for towing!
So, if you ever get stuck in remote places — in any country — here are a few mechanical tips to get you moving again:
Flat tyre?
No sweat. Take the inner tube out of the spare, look around the bush for some spinifex grass, gather the grass into a pile and then stuff the grass into the tire.
No jack?
Hardly a challenge. Just dig some space under the wheel for more room in which to work, and you’ll eventually get the tyre on.
NB If you don’t have spinifex in your part of the world - any dried grass that has a bit of body will suffice!
Brakes not working?
Got some detergent, an old tin can and some water?
Problem solved! Mix the water and detergent and use to replace the brake fluid. Sure enough, when tested out, the brakes work better!
Clutch pads worn?
If you’re at all handy with a knife, you can whittle a set out of any old mulga (or other wood) lying around.
While these tips will certainly help out in an emergency … I wouldn’t try this at home, boys and girls!
J M Stewart is a freelance writer and editor. Sign up for free, weekly writing tips that have been delivered every Friday since 1998: mailto:WritingTips-subscribe @yahoogroups.com J M Stewart’s travel site http://www.traveltoaustralia.write101.com provides intending travellers with all they need to know to visit, live and work in Australia. Drop by now to see if you’re eligible for an Australian work visa!
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Do you desire to buy a stereo and require a bkr loan
at 11:02 am on Monday, 5 January 2009
Be clever today to check out if you have a great deal or if you don’t with the moneylender that offers you a money loan. Analyze to see if the merchant bank who is willing to give you a bank loan is fine. A bank in Fullerton California or so may have a total totally different actual loan rate for a 30000 dollar money loan then a merchant bank in Clearwater Florida and that makes a immense clear difference in your yearly pay backs.
Translated it means: Woon je in Andijk of Boekel en hebt u BKR notering. Lenen met zonder BKR is nog nooit zo eenvoudig geweest. Koop een ander huis met zonder lenen bkr registratie, 336756 euro is geen enkel probleem om te financieren. Van Gouda tot Moerdijk, financieren met BKR is altijd mogelijk.
17.4 percent interest rate may seem so good but will that be unalterable after you’re going to return your credit loan. Many of the banks wil show you a rate of interest that is looking bonnie but feels bad or so after some time. It makes no difference if you live in Jersey City New Jersey or in Newark New Jersey a honest online check up will excuse you often lots of inconvenience. That’s the reason why now you need to go out and run across if you can have a credit loan at a respectable percent rate. Nowadays you can check rates quickly at websites and examine if there are other possible traps you should be aware of.
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Maui, The Valley Isle
at 8:41 pm on Sunday, 4 January 2009
The island of maui is an island in the northwest of Hawaiian islands. Maui is the second-largest island in the state of Hawaii. The Alenuihaha Channel separates it from the island of Hawaii and the Pailolo Channel separates it from Molokai. Maui is comprised of two mountain masses that constitute the east and west peninsulas, connected by an isthmus. The Haleakala volcano in Haleakala National Park is the highest point on the island.
The Island of Maui is also nicknamed as the “Valley Isle” for the large fertile isthmus between its two volcanoes.
Maui is part of Maui County, the other islands comprising the county being Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. The larger towns on Maui Island include Kahului, Wailuku, Lāhainā, and Kīhei.
The Polynesians, from Tahiti and the Marquesas, were the original peoples to populate Maui. The British Captain James Cook discovered Maui on November 26, 1778.
The island’s economy is mainly based on tourism and the cultivation of sugarcane and pineapples. The main tourism centers of the island are Lahaina to Kapalua and Kīhei-Wailea. The area is home to several luxury maui hotels. The maui hotels are heavenly abodes. They manifest unspeakable romances, luxuries and comforts. They envision the exquisite beaches and lovely landscapes.
As Oahu is the most popular among the Japanese tourists, Maui attracts the tourists from the US mainland and Canada. The island of Maui is a leading whale-watching center in the Hawaiian Islands due to the fact that many Humpback whales winter in the sheltered Auau Channel between the islands of Maui County.
The maui vacation and maui vacation packages are considered hot tourism deals all over the globe. The island of maui is one Edens of the world and maui vacations are strewn with great number of romances and passions. The lovely valley isle is famous for its golf spots and maui golf vacation is one of the most coveted vacations.
The ‘Road to Hāna’ (the drive from the central valley to Hāna and beyond), the drive to Haleakalā crater, Makawao (and Maui’s Upcountry region), the Īao Valley, and Lindbergh’s grave (near Kaupō on East Maui) are very popular among the tourists.
The author owns a website on maui hotels, offering bulks of info and tips to take maui hotel and cheap maui hotel. The website also carries the info on maui vacation, maui vacation packages, maui vacation rental etc. You can visit his site to get more info about online maui hotels booking
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Au Pair in Paris
at 7:29 am on Saturday, 3 January 2009
If you are between 18 and 30, student and ready to offer some domestic help to a local family, this might interest you. Though mainly for females, now a day more and more male students are getting seen in this domain, and your work may vary from changing diapers of their child / children to English lessons and in fact you may need to do any work that is a part of their life (thus it will vary from family to family), what you can always try to negotiate at the beginning, in exchange of your food, lodging and some small pocket money (around 250 euros a month). Just to inform you, Au Pair works are basically about helping children, though you will often end up doing other works as well. Sometimes, you can even hope to get a monthly transport pass which you can use in metro, RER and bus (locally called Carte Orange).
You will have to work in the weekends and in the evenings of weekdays, and the working hour will also vary from case to case. It can be between 30 to 35 hours a week, but if you are a full time student, it is advised to negotiate lesser hours at the very beginning, say about 15 to 20 hours a week should be fine, otherwise there will be no time spare for your home works. Besides, you will also have 2 days off per week.
If you are coming to France to learn French and to learn the French way of life, this can be the ideal solution for you, though you need at least the basic French to do this job.
To find an au pair position, you can start your search from the American Church of Paris, a wonderful place to meet other English speaking individuals and for other English resources. Start by picking up the magazine ‘FUSAC’, you will find it just near the main gate. (Till now the best printed resource for English speaking people who need information in Paris). You can also have a look at the notice board, you may find something interesting, and then put your own message there (for which, yes, you will be needing to prepare a ‘looking for an Au Pair position’ page printed from your computer or a cyber-café and a telephone number where potential families can contact you).
Besides, you can contact different Au Pair agencies in Paris, and you may or may not need to give a commission for the service as often the agencies take commission only from the host family).
A different version of this Au Pair work also exists, and that is to help old people in their houses. There are a lot of old people here in Paris who don’t like going to old homes, and also find it difficult living alone in their deserted house. These people will like your company if you are ready to offer them, and along with some some household works, you can easily manage a free lodgment for you plus some pocket money. The choice is really yours. If you like children and young family, then go for Au Pair jobs, and if you prefer older people, then you choose the later.
To get a list of some Au Pair agencies in an around Paris, you can go to the Practical Info section of author’s Paris Forum site (below).
Happy surfing.
Author is a Paris based professional web developer, owning the Web design Paris firm. Apart from developing professional websites for business establishments, author also develops websites of general interest for the english speaking community of Paris. Two interesting websites that can really make the english speakers stay in Paris easier are Paris Forum and Paris people search.
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RV Owner and Handyman
at 7:52 pm on Friday, 2 January 2009
In the excitement of considering life as an RVer, it may not occur to some that the new lifestyle demands several non-recreational roles to be assumed. One of these roles is the handyman (ladies included). I point this out not to throw cold water on the exciting plans, but to prepare you for a certainty that comes standard with living in an RV, no matter how new the unit.
If fixing things around the house is your thing, then fixing things in an RV will come easy for you. On the other hand, if you rely on someone else when the simplest thing goes wrong, prepare yourself to become handy or take a handyman along on your RV adventure.
Think that you can dismiss this role by throwing money at it? Not so fast! Even if your budget can sustain paying for all preventive maintenance and repairs, services may not always be available. Imagine the difference it would make if you can do your own RV repair, versus having to spend a day or two of your week-long vacation at the shop.
RV REPAIRS VS. HOUSE REPAIRS
Even though an RV is considerably smaller than a modest house, it requires more frequent repairs. This is also true for brand new recreational vehicles, while new houses are mostly trouble-free in their first few years.
Some of the reasons for the increased repairs in an RV are the following:
- Lighter construction throughout, due to weight and space constraints. Even the appliances are not made as well as the ones manufactured for fixed residences.
- RV’s have more moving parts, some of them complex.
- Vibration, bumping, and frame flexing caused by travel can break or loosen all sorts of components.
- Less insulation means preventive measures must be taken in freezing weather. If preventive measures are ignored, repairs may be necessary.
- Unlike houses that are frequently inspected during construction, RV’s have no such regulatory requirements. This leaves quality control up to each manufacturer, some of which choose to build poor quality products. This is why it is so important to inspect all RV’s before buying.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A HANDYMAN?
From my own experience and from observing others on both sides of the handyman fence, I have come to the conclusion that the two requirements to become handy are: interest in solving a problem and not being intimidated by machinery. A close third is knowing your limits; knowing when a problem is beyond your skills and being willing to ask for professional help. Once you posses the above three attributes, the finer skills of being a handyman can be learned with time and practice.
As you are gaining experience, keep this old saying in mind: “Measure twice and cut once.” The key is not to be so afraid that you won’t try, but to be extra cautious when approaching an unfamiliar problem. Are you about to drill through a wall? Do all you can to examine both sides of the wall and items near it. If there is a chance that utilities may be running through that wall, do not proceed without consulting blue prints or an expert.
MAINTENANCE & REPAIR TASKS
Handyman skills are necessary for RV preventive maintenance and for making repairs. Below is a list of common tasks that a person possessing a good dose of common sense and average skills should be able to handle without specialized training:
Motor home engine or tow vehicle components:
- Check and fill engine oil
- Check and fill engine coolant
- Check and fill other engine fluids
- Check and adjust tire pressure
- Lubricate under-chassis steering joints
- Lubricate hitch moving components
Recreational vehicle components:
- Repair or install cabinetry hinges, slides, and latches
- Re-attach paneling with nails or adhesive
- Fix external storage door hinges and support arms
- Replace broken entryway handles
- Dislodge and lubricate stubborn awning mechanisms
- Replace bulbs
- Find and replace blown fuses
- Troubleshoot basic electrical problems with a multimeter
- Test RV park A/C power voltage
- Check and fill RV battery water
- Test RV battery charge level
- Replace common electric motors such as water pump and waste water valve motors
- Drill holes in various locations to run wires, but having enough sense to know where not to drill in order to avoid damaging components beneath the surface.
- Find source of water leak and caulk it
- Repair leaky water lines and hoses that are easily accessible
- Unclog slow or blocked sink and shower drains
- Insulate exposed hoses and pipes to prevent freezing
- Winterize RV before cold storage to prevent freezing
- Repair broken sewage connectors and covers
- Detect and find propane leaks
- Clear clogged air conditioner drain passages
- Recognize and correct common refrigerator problems. For example, my mostly-new Norcold fridge occasionally stops cooling until I reset the control board by unplugging the 12 volt DC wire in the back. According to a service guy, this is common for this brand.
HANDYMAN ESSENTIALS
Take it from me and the Boy Scoutsit is good to be prepared. I remember racing across Dallas a few minutes before 11:00 P.M., trying to make it to an AutoZone to buy fuses before they closed. The converter in our brand new RV blew a fuse, the batteries were mostly drained, and without spare fuses our new home just sat there in the dark. This incident would have turned into an uncomfortable night were it to happen during a vacation, far away from auto part stores.
To be prepared, take along a complete set of common tools such as hammers, screw drivers, etc. In addition, take all of the following tools, supplies, and spares that apply to your situation:
Tools:
- Hydraulic jacks rated for the RV weight
- Sturdy blocks for using under hydraulic jacks. Check your jacks before you need them because they may not extend high enough to lift the RV without the use of blocks. Concrete or other masonry blocks may not be strong enough to support the weight of heavy RV’s and tow trucks.
- Torque wrench for tightening the wheel lug nuts
- ” and ” socket drivers with extensions and sockets to fit all fasteners you might remove. The largest socket I needed was a 2″ for the wheel lug nuts to use with the torque wrench.
- 15″ adjustable wrench with a 2.5″ jaw opening
- Caulk gun
- Grease gun or can of grease. I found storing the grease gun too messy and opted for the can instead.
- Full set of Allen wrenches
- Full set of screwdriver tips, including square and star shapes
- Small wood and metal hand saws
- Flexible magnet to retrieve fallen screws
- Small mirror to look into tight spaces
- Small shovel in case you get stuck in snow or mud
- Small wood and metal files for rounding sharp corners
- Multimeter with a set of alligator clip wires
- Battery hydrometer for accurately testing battery charge
- Soldering iron and solder for re-attaching broken wires
- Flash light with fresh batteries
- Electric drill and complete drill bit set
- Quality tire pressure gauge with long hose, rated for 100 psi or higher
- Adjustable gripping pliers with jaws wide enough to clamp onto water hose connector. Handy when it is time to remove an over-tightened water hose.
Spares:
- At least a couple of each fuse size found in your RV and tow vehicle. More of the common sizes.
- Light bulbs
- Fresh water hose and adapter to connect two hoses for longer reach
- Sewer hose and adapter to connect two hoses for longer reach
- Sewer pipe screw-on cap because it breaks easily in cold weather
- Spare wheel for motor home, trailer, and tow vehicle
- Tire valve cores and removal tool
- Electrical extension cords designed for outdoor use
Maintenance & repair supplies:
- Collection of screws and nails, the types used in your RV
- Duct tape, both the permanent and temporary types. Temporary duct tape comes in handy to hold things like paneling and trim in place while the adhesive dries.
- Clear duct tape for temporary repair of broken signal lights, torn awning canvas, etc.
- Liquid Nails adhesive for re-attaching sagging ceilings and almost anything else
- Marine adhesive for waterproof repairs
- Caulk designed for the roof and exterior walls of your specific RV
- General use waterproof caulk for the interior
- WD-40 for lubrication and for removing tough petroleum-based stains
- Propane leak tester solution in spray bottle
- Wire nuts for connecting electrical wires
- Pipe insulation
KNOW YOUR LIMITS
Being handy around the RV will save you time, money, and the added aggravation of spending part of your vacation in a shop. At the same time be smart about what you are capable and willing to take on. One time I removed and completely disassembled a wheel hub from my trailer to track down a squeaky noise; this has taught me that wheel hubs are too complex for my skills and messy too.
It is never fun when something goes wrong with the RV, but you will get a great deal of satisfaction being able to repair common problems.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Charles Kerekes is a fulltime RVer traveling the US with his family and maintains the ChanginGears.com RV web site.
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Bryan Ellis - Virtual Real Estate Investing vs. Physical Real Estate Investing
A relatively new concept in the online world is “Virtual Real Estate Investing“. What is meant by “Virtual Real Estate Investing” ranges from online games like SecondLife (where real profit can be made) to the use of internet technologies to make normal real estate investors more profitable.
To separate fact from fiction, I asked Bryan Ellis of BryanEllis.com for comments. He’s the man many consider to be the father of this new form of investing.
Ellis says he adopted the term “virtual real estate investing” sometime before Y2K after he realized that making money online is conceptually very similar to making money with physical real estate.
An example of the similar nature of “virtual” and “physical” real estate Bryan Ellis likes to point out is the methods of making a profit from domain names compared to physical real estate. “There’s a huge difference between a website and a piece of real estate, but the ways you can profit from them are similar: ‘flipping’, rental/leasing, advertising sales, etc…all of these apply to both markets” he states.
The similarities really are obvious. Consider this: If you own a piece of real estate in a desirable neighborhood, your real estate has value because other people are interested in that location. Likewise, if you own a desirable domain name, others will find value in it because it serves their purposes. In either case, you could sell or lease the asset and turn it into cash.
In our next installment of this series on virtual real estate investing, Bryan Ellis will share the internet analogies to the physical concept of real estate development.
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How to Get Cheap Internet Service
at 6:32 am on Thursday, 1 January 2009
Ever want to have an internet connection but couldn’t afford it?
Did you ever encounter companies offering cheap internet services but has doubtful quality of service?
It is possible to get cheap internet service providers that offer quality services. All you have to do is look for it.
Try searching the internet, here you can find many internet service providers that can offer affordable rates with great quality. If you live in a large city, chances are, there will be so many internet service providers that compete with each other.
These internet service providers will offer great deals with quality services in order to attract and keep customers.
They can offer a wide variety of internet packages with incentives for their customers. With competition, you can be sure that they will try to attract as much customers as they can with low prices with rewards and bonuses included.
If you live in a small community, there will usually be one or two internet service providers. These providers usually charge higher rates because of lack of competition. You can find internet service providers online that can offer cheap internet services in many areas.
You just have to find out if these companies can reach your area. They can offer you WiFi or wireless internet connection, which requires just a computer and an antenna or internet satellite dish. WiFi internet connection can be relatively cheap.
You can also have cheap internet connection by using a dial up. Because of advancement in internet technology, dial ups are now very cheap and in some countries, free.
However, dial up internet connections are not fast, this type of connection is only suitable if you are just going to use the email or surf the web. If you are more into downloading large files, dial up will not work for you.
Research your local library about cheap internet connections and cheap internet providers that offers services in your area and can offer you some pre-requisites.
You can also find cheap high-speed internet services by researching in the internet, your search results may come up with cable, DSL, and mobile internet services. In these three, the most expensive is cable, and DSL will require a telephone line.
Researching in the internet also enables you to compare different companies and different kinds of internet packages. It is up to you to choose which of these are the cheapest and that meets your needs.
High-speed internet service are becoming more popular and because of this the price becomes cheaper and cheaper. Installation fees can be a bit expensive, but monthly fees can get closer to the price of the dial up. Some high-speed internet service provider’s offers free installation to attract more customers.
Keep in mind that the price of the internet depends on how you use the technology. If you use internet for just emailing, it is probably not practical to get a high-speed internet connection.
Instead, go for the dial up internet, it may not be fast, but can produce enough speed for email purposes. If you use the internet for downloading large files, then high-speed internet is for you.
Basically, this means that determining the price of the internet does not really depend on the numbers you see on a sales quote but it is really about getting your money’s worth.
Bob Hett has extensively covered the Internet Service Provider industry as an analyst and has researched the various companies for factors based on price, reliability, support and overall quality. Learn more at Cheap Internet Service
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Fresh Look at Site Design
at 2:24 am on Tuesday, 30 December 2008
The designers think first of all about good-looking, pretty pages. But have you ever thought about design from the point of promotion? How does design influence on web popularity?
It is really very important. You can have a good-looking site, but what is a profit if people do not know about it?
Here are some advices how to combine design and promotion.
1 - do not use Flash intos and Flash-written sites. The search engines look for plain text, they cannot recognize what is flash movie about.
2 - frames. You should only really use frames if you honestly feel they will improve your site. If, for example, you intend to use frames for navigation, then why not think about using a navigation bar instead. If you decided to use frames, provide also non-frame version.
3 - META tags. Do not forget to write meta-tags. You write the site not only for people, but for machines also. If you wish to have visitors, you should write machine-friendly site. So use different META keywords and META title on the pages of your site. Very important: those tags should reflect the content of the page. Very good if they repeat several times on the page.
4 - Page names. Give the names to your site pages like the keywords. That also helps to boost rankings.
5 - Images. Try not to use much graphics on the pages, but if you use it, do not forget about ALT tag. Write there your keywords.
6 - Keep Outgoing Links Off Of Your Page To a Minimum. Here’s why: You want the search engine spiders to follow all the links on your homepage that lead to other pages within your site. The idea being that your entire site gets indexed and listed. However some people mistakenly put links that lead outside of their site on their main page. The danger here is that the search engine spider will hit one of these external outgoing links and leave your site before it’s finished indexing your complete web.
7 - Place style sheet and java script code in an external file and NOT on your actual web page. The less code that precedes the main body text of your page containing your keyword phrases the better.
8 - Test your site look in different browsers. You may see there some mistake.
And the most important thing - to attract visitors you should provide them really important and useful information. They do not look for good design (but this is important to), they need information. Give it and they will come back!
Good luck!
Visit this site to read more.
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An Interview with Helga Smith: Servas Traveller, Marathon Runner and Conqueror of Mount Kilimanjaro
at 9:23 pm on Monday, 29 December 2008
I had a chance to meet Helga recently at the Servas Conference that I covered in Vancouver. Once you read Helga’s story you’ll realize why she has been included in a recent book called “Women Who Rock”, featuring the stories of women who have made outstanding contributions to business, sports or community endeavours.
Originally from East Germany, Helga escaped to the West in 1963 and came to New York City a few years later. Without much help, she raised three children, completed a university degree and successfully established herself in the United States.
Helga has volunteered for a variety of non-profit organizations, inspired others to get active by running marathon races and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds to help African women start their own small businesses. Here is Helga’s fascinating story:
1. Please tell us about your background. Where are you from, where did you grow up?
I grew up in a country that does not exist anymore, East Germany. Life was not much fun after WWII and it did not improve when the communists took over in 1948. Since I lived close to West Berlin, there was the constant reminder that life can be different. In those of us, who were not willing to resign ourselves to the limitations of the communist regime, it fostered a rebellion and the urge to throw off the chains.
2. You left East Germany in 1963, 2 years after the Berlin Wall was erected. Please tell us about your escape from East Germany.
When the Wall was built it became nearly impossible to leave the country. If caught, the penalty for escaping from East Germany at the time was 6 years in prison. But I was single with no binding obligations, so I was willing to take a chance. I scouted out several possibilities and finally got onto a train which passed locked thru East Germany, stopped in East Berlin to let on foreigners and went to West Berlin before being locked again for the second passage thru East Germany to West Germany. I hid in the train and saw the border police passing by inches away from me. Destiny must have been on my side because the police did not detect me and I made it to West Berlin.
The beginning in West Berlin was not easy since I had nothing, knew nobody and the official help offered was barely enough to get one outfit to go on a job search. Well, I did get a job, found an apartment and basically was on my way.
3. A few years after you left East Germany you came to the United States, to New York City. Please tell us about the first few years in the United States.
Now that I was free to make my own decisions, the opportunity arose to come to the United States. The fact that I did not speak any English did not deter me. Indeed, it did make it a bit more difficult, but challenges are there to make us grow.
I took a job as a domestic, learned English as quickly as I could, made friends and a year later started working in an office. Soon after, I married an American and we had three children during the next five years. By that time my husband decided he did not want a family after all and I was single again. Life became challenging once more. To feed the children, I had to go on welfare for a while. But I also attended school, and as soon as I had an associate degree I started to work again. This time I took a job at a major financial institution and stayed with them for more than 20 years in a variety of positions. Along the way I acquired specialized computer skills that allowed me to support my children thru college. My daughter graduated from Harvard Law School and works for International Development. My son attended Fordham University and lives in New York with his Ecuadorian wife. Both of them are recognized and respected graffiti artists, famous for murals in their neighborhood, the City and around the world.
4. How and when did you hear about Servas? What countries have you traveled to through Servas? How many people from what countries have you hosted? In your opinion, what is special about traveling through Servas?
My children were still teenagers when on a Sunday afternoon hike I met a “little old lady traveling with a knapsack”* who told me about Servas. It sounded interesting, but I did not have the time or money to travel myself, so I decided to become a host and let travelers come to me. Several years later, having hosted dozens of people from many different countries, I became really eager to travel myself.
If it had not been for Servas, I do not know whether I ever would have had the courage to visit other countries on my own. But once I started, it quickly became a fascination and my urge to travel was dampened only by financial constraints and the brief annual vacation employees receive in the US. During the 20 years I have been a Servas member I have hosted hundreds of people and traveled to more than 50 countries, visiting Servas people whenever possible.
There are 15000 Servas hosts in 135 countries, and even though it may not always be feasible to stay with them or they may not be available at the time, every visit is enriching in some way. Every traveler coming into my home has something special about him or her and I will always make an effort to have a meaningful encounter.
Vice versa, when I visit people in other countries, I like to find out what their life is like, what are their concerns, what do we have in common and how can we relate and help each other. In doing so, I believe that we are fostering understanding and tolerance. Often we are inspired and motivated to take actions in peace building on the grassroots level. A network of Servas members worldwide helps in that effort.
* (Sandy Cherry was listed in the host list with that quote. She lived in California, and I met her years later at one of our national Servas meetings in Boston.)
5. Please tell us about your 3 favorite or most memorable hosting experiences with Servas.
One of my earliest encounters began in California where I met a lovely young woman from Australia who was somewhat reluctant to come to 1980s crime-ridden New York, or so it was perceived as in those days. I encouraged her to visit me and of course she loved it. Short after, she wrote to me that her parents also wanted to come to New York and asked to find a place for them to stay. Naturally I invited them into my home, even though they were not with Servas. They were in the States for the first time and instead of doing the usual sightseeing in New York, they visited a relative of a friend of theirs in the hospital, because he had nobody else who cared about him. I was very impressed by their humanitarian action and selflessness.
During the first year as a host I was not sure of what precisely hosting entailed. An elderly gentleman came to visit who had just discovered Servas and thought it was a marvelous invention. He obviously had his own agenda that had nothing to do with the Servas spirit. After smoking up my apartment for three days, I asked him whether he was going to stay with anyone else in New York. His answer was, that he liked it here and that he felt just like at home. I did not have the courage to tell him it was time to leave and he stayed another three days.
For the Millennium Forum in 2000, Servas hosts in New York were asked to volunteer hosting UN delegates of NGOs who often do not receive enough funding. I was privileged to host Muborak Sharipova from Tajikistan who knew nothing about Servas. As a sociologist, Muborak had lived the Servas spirit all her life, becoming a member of Servas was just a logical extension of what she was doing all along. We now have a close relationship and I am happy to help her in more ways than one whenever she comes to New York.
The full interview with photos is published at Travel and Transitions - Interviews
Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions(http://www.travelandtransitions.com). Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and many other features. You will also find stories about life and the transitions that we face as we go through our own personal life-long journeys.
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Driving in Oaxaca, Mexico
at 9:43 pm on Sunday, 28 December 2008
RULES OF THE ROAD IN OAXACA
Give one example of an oxymoron. You guessed it. But just when you think you’re comfortable driving in this city, apparently without hardfast or enforced regulations, there you are, transito (a traffic cop) waving you over, giving you a ticket, removing your license plate or towing your vehicle. Watching and learning what other drivers do does not provide any comfort or assurance that you won’t end up paying a fine, perhaps with your car having vanished, or being honked at by other motorists. All I can do is offer some understanding and explanation, and the rest is up to you.
Let’s start with the premise that this particular local government employee isn’t paid all that well, and therefore has limited “resources,” in the multiple sense of the word. I’ve been told he earns about 6,000 pesos per month, and also that he earns about 2,000 pesos per month and therefore relies on making his wages “on the street.” Keep this is mind, or search for your own statistics. One thing for sure is that he probably earns less than the average Oaxacan (about 65,000 pesos annually according to most recent statistics)…not like the law enforcement officers we know who retire in their fifties with good pensions to then start a second career in the security field.
I’m convinced that no one knows the traffic laws and that whatever is being enforced is done so haphazardly or on a whim. The point is that even when you think you’re doing the right thing or know the law, you may still be pulled over, fined or bear the wrath of irate motorists. What follows is a smattering of assistance for would-be Oaxacan drivers, constituting acceptable driving practices, not necessarily the law…nor what will keep you out of trouble. But over the past fifteen years I’ve only been pulled over three times…once for a u-turn in a major intersection, another time for driving without plates, and recently for simply not knowing what to do in the middle of a weird-looking intersection with even stranger traffic signals (to date not a single fine).
Keep in mind that frequently lanes aren’t clearly or at all marked, and lights aren’t always working, at least for one direction of traffic. When you see two or more transito directing in an intersection, do not assume that they’re working in unison. I recently saw one officer clipping his fingernails while apparently directing traffic.
WHO HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY?
Many intersections don’t have yield or stop signs, or lights. Most up and down big streets have the right of way, as do most major cross streets, but it’s a matter of learning over time which street is which, what constitutes a big or major one, and even once you’ve done so, being cautious upon entering every intersection because you don’t know if the other guy knows. At traffic lights, green has the right of way, but not immediately. You’re probably accustomed to driving in a jurisdiction where there’s a delay of a second or two between the other driver getting the red, and you getting the green. No so in Oaxaca. Before proceeding, edge out carefully to see how many drivers will be speeding through the red. They say that semforos (traffic lights) are suggestive only, so at times there will be drivers stopping and then proceeding through a red. Though illegal, this is not an uncommon or unaccepted practice…it just happens, and I bet those going through reds in this context get into less accidents than drivers proceeding immediately upon seeing a green, or those going through unmarked intersections.
TURNING
You’re not supposed to turn right on a red after stopping if it’s safe to do so, unless there’s a sign with an arrow. Breach this one and you’ll be honked at more than for going through a red! Sometimes right lanes are reserved for right turns only, so watch for them, or understand why the guy behind you is honking when you obey the red light…there’s probably a green arrow somewhere telling you to turn right. The car on your left might also want to turn right. Regarding left turns, the same holds true. But more often there will be two or three lanes of traffic wanting to turn left, including you…but before making your left turn, ensure the driver to your left also plans to turn left, and not go straight. Buses seem to be allowed to turn whichever way they want from whichever lane they’re in, and because they’re bigger than you, be careful, if you can see them through their exhaust. Unless you plan to turn, the safest place to be and to avoid angry motorists is the middle lanes. On occasion you might even happen upon a far right lane reserved for left hand turns! But wait. Beginning in May, 2006, road “improvements” on the main east-west thoroughfare in the city, Nios Héroes de Chapltepec, started to reach completion. Instead of there being the usual left hand turn lanes, we now have, a block before an intersection, traffic signals directing you to veer to the far left hand side of the roadway, cutting across oncoming traffic lanes. Then, when you reach the intersection where you want to turn left, there are additional traffic lights. It’s hard to explain the concept, the chaos and the danger to both drivers and pedestrians. Think of it as driving along a North American roadway, and then all of a sudden you have to become a British driver, but just for a block and a turn. The government has placed officers at these new intersections to familiarize drivers with these new lanes, which is admirable…but when these instructors of insanity are gone, after the powers who be decide that Oaxacans are now familiar with the grid pattern, what happens to non-Oaxacan drivers, such as tourists. Will Hertz then double its insurance premiums?
PARKING
You’ll learn to double park, even though you loathe those who do so and create the traffic backlogs. Sometimes tranisto blows his whistle, sometimes he starts giving you a ticket, or removing your plate, and sometimes he does nothing. Pick your spots, keep a passenger in your car who knows where to find you, and be quick. The vehicle you’re blocking will on balance be patient, since the driver was probably double parking an hour earlier. When parking close to a corner, the key is to do so on a street where cars can only turn in the other direction so there’s no chance of you getting clipped. You’re not supposed to do it, but most often it’s overlooked. However, if you’re close to the corner of a street onto which bus traffic turns, watch out because the bus won’t be able to make the turn, and transito will do whatever he can to remove your vehicle. Don’t worry much about barely making it into a parking spot, because Oaxacans seem to have a knack for getting out of small spaces. Watch for driveways since sometimes they’re pretty hard to see. In parking lots, take note of early closing hours.
SPEEDING
I don’t know the city speed limits, nor do the vast majority of Oaxacans. Topes (speed bumps) will dictate your speed, as will the driver behind you. Regarding the former, sometimes they’re marked and sometimes they’re not. Notice the number of repairshops for tires and springs, and signs for alignment and balancing. Attack the topes slowly, and if possible on an angle. Highways often have speed limits marked, but gauge your speed as you would in the city. While the toll-road warns of radar in operation, the only place I’ve ever seen it is on the road from Acapulco to Mexico City. However, you can be pulled over without radar, the fine is very stiff, you’d better have cash on hand, and recall that there’s no presumption of innocence.
AND REMEMBER
In Oaxaca to get a drivers’ license there is no road test or eye exam. You either take a written test or pay someone a bit of money as a bribe, a very common practice.
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Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B., is a resident of Oaxaca, Mexico, and together with wife Arlene operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast, a unique bed and breakfast experience in the heart of Southern Mexico. Mr. Starkman received his Masters degree in Social Anthropology from York University in Toronto in 1978, taught for a few years, and subsequently began attending Osgoode Hall Law School, becoming licensed by the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1986. Until 2004 he was a partner at Banks & Starkman, Barristers & Solicitors, specializing in family law, with employment law, personal injuries and commercial litigation rounding out his practice. While a frequent traveler to Oaxaca since 1991, it was not until he ceased practicing law that he took up permanent residence in the state capital. In his spare time Mr. Starkman takes small groups of up to 4 people to tour the craft villages, towns on their market days, ruins and other sites depending on his clients’ specific interests; writes restaurant reviews and articles about life and the rich multiplicity of cultural traditions in O |
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